G D Spilsbury: 2 books

These seasonal stories about a farming community in Rome’s olive hills—“the Sabina”—bring to life an ancient world where foreigners and locals have always lived side by side but separately. The unique culture of the place, steeped in the historic rivalries of Italy’s medieval hilltowns, finds vivid portrayal in these lively tales aboutthe local residents and their traditions.

It was the year of the Boston Marathon bombing, the year of the Red Sox's championship, and the year the city's most prestigious publishing house was fighting for its life. It was the year Flo Wright relocated from New York to save Churchill & Co. and hired freelance editor, Nick Turner, to help...